ABOUT US
We are the Rodney District of Neighbourhood Support NZ. We cover the following communities:
- Ahuroa
- Albany
- Coatsville
- Dairy Flat
- Glorit
- Hatfields Beach
- Helensville
- Kaipara Flats
- Kaiwaka
- Kaukapakapa
- Kumeu
- Leigh
- Mahurangi East
- Mahurangi West
- Mangawhai
- Matakana
- Millwater
- Muriwai
- Omaha
- Orewa
- Parakai
- Parkiri
- Point Wells
- Puhoi
- Riverhead
- Silverdale
- Stillwater
- South Head
- South Kaipara
- Taupaki
- Te Hana
- Waimauku
- Wainui
- Waitoki
- Waiwera
- Warkworth
- Wellsford
- Whangaparoa Peninsula
- Woodhill
Neighbourhood Support (NS) for you, is all about knowing who your neighbours are & being there for them in times of need as they would be for you. It is about knowing how to contact each other should you need help or advice. NS strengthens community spirit, minimises crime, enables people to share information, ideas & insights & helps us support each other in times of need. NS aims to make our homes, streets, neighbourhoods & communities a safer & more caring places in which to live. A Neighbourhood Support Group will:
- Encourage neighbours to talk to each other.
Share information that will help reduce the risk and fear of crime. - Help foster a sense of community spirit, where everyone is respected & valued.
- Educate & empower neighbours to take responsibility for their own safety.
- Identify the needs of neighbours & ways to assist each other.
- Identify the strengths & skills of neighbours to contribute to solving local problems.
- Minimise burglaries & car crime in the local area.
- Reduce graffiti, vandalism, violence & disorder.
- Support victims of crime.
- Enhance the safety features & appearance of the neighbourhood.
- Decide on ways to handle any civil emergencies that may occur.
- Know when & how to contact Police, other emergency services or support agencies.
- Liaise and co-operate with other community groups Joining Neighbourhood Support.
Working together, our Community Constable & our NS District Coordinator, are kept constantly updated on crime trends & safety information through our Community Alerts & the NS Network. This information is forwarded to all members.
Members also receive a household pack that is filled with all sorts of useful information sheets as well as stickers & a street sign. Helping to ensure you are aware of all the avenues you can take to keep safe & informed with lists of all the local emergency numbers. Members also receive a monthly newsletter & can join our facebook page for regular daily notices.
People can join as an individual household or they can start a NS Street Group. Being a Street Coordinator you get familiar with your neighbours & help keep your street safe as a team.
Remember, at no time should you put yourself at risk. If you consider the situation to be serious & it needs immediate attention DIAL 111. This includes seeing an intruder on your property.
Our Objectives
Neighbourhood Support aims to make homes, streets, neighbourhoods and communities safer and more caring places in which to live. This is primarily achieved through the establishment of small cells of households known as a “Neighbourhood Support Group”, comprising anywhere from 4 to 50 residential households in a single street or suburb. Groups throughout a single suburb or a wider town or city area are co-ordinated either via a civilian co-ordinator, or through a Community Constable based at a local Police station.
The main purpose of the groups is to encourage neighbours to know one another and share information on crime or suspicious activities in their area. Early contact with authorities such as the Police is also encouraged for reporting of unusual observations or unacceptable behaviour. Crime prevention information can also be shared with group members via Community Constables, or Neighbourhood Support Area Co-ordinators.
A secondary objective of Neighbourhood Support is to facilitate communication between Civil Defence (Emergency Management) and the community during a manmade or natural disaster affecting residents.
History
Neighbourhood Watch was introduced to New Zealand as a crime prevention initiative in the late 1970s. The initiative evolved to become Neighbourhood Support New Zealand, a community owned and managed organisation with a wide-ranging interest in community support, safety and crime prevention. Neighbourhood Support became an Incorporated Society in 2000. In 2001 it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the New Zealand Police. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to establish and promote a collaborative working relationship between Neighbourhood Support New Zealand Incorporated and the Police.
